Willie Thrower was the first African American quarterback in the NFL, playing for the Chicago Bears in the 1950s. He attended Michigan State where he won a national championship. Though he only had limited playing time in the NFL with just 3 complete passes over his 2 seasons, one notable drive saw him lead the Bears within 1 yard of the end zone before being replaced, which drew boos from the crowd. Willie Thrower helped pave the way for future African American quarterbacks in the NFL.